This article explains step-by-step solutions that you can use to fix your computer’s UEFI boot<\/strong> for these Windows versions: Windows 10<\/strong>, Windows 11<\/strong>, Windows 7<\/strong>, and Windows 8<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This how-to article is applicable for PCs with UEFI\/EFI that have either Windows 10<\/strong>, Windows 11<\/strong>, Windows 7<\/strong>, or Windows 8<\/strong> installed.<\/p>\n

UEFI (EFI) is the updated version of BIOS, which is commonly found on older models of computers. Major PC manufacturers – Dell, HP, Acer, Asus and so on – no longer ship PCs with BIOS, but with UEFI\/EFI instead.<\/p>\n

Most computers with UEFI\/EFI can provide legacy support for BIOS. In this kind of example, if you enable legacy support, you could install Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP on a computer that has UEFI\/EFI and not BIOS.<\/p>\n

$\"ThinkPad$ <\/a><\/p>\n
ThinkPad UEFI-Legacy Boot Priority<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
PCs with Windows 8 or newer usually have UEFI\/EFI installed and not BIOS, but PCs with Windows 7 will use the UEFI\/EFI set with Legacy mode active.<\/p>\n
Fix UEFI Boot with Easy Recovery Essentials<\/h2>\n
Easy Recovery Essentials is our EFI and UEFI repair CD\/DVD\/USB for Windows<\/a> that can be used to fix your computer.<\/p>\n
Easy Recovery Essentials can correct errors in the UEFI\/EFI firmware configuration.<\/strong><\/p>\n
Easy Recovery Essentials can fix many errors such as this automatically using its built-in Automated Repair option. EasyRE is currently available for Windows XP<\/strong>, Vista<\/strong>, 7<\/strong>, 8<\/strong>, Windows 10<\/strong>, and Windows 11<\/strong> and can be downloaded and created on any PC.<\/p>\n
\n
Download Easy Recovery Essentials<\/a>. Make sure to note your Windows version (XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, or Windows 11) before you download EasyRE. This guide can help you identify what version of Windows<\/a> you have installed.<\/li>\n
Burn the image. Follow these instructions on how to burn the bootable ISO image<\/a>\u00a0very carefully, as making a bootable CD can be tricky! Alternatively, these instructions explain how to create a bootable EasyRE recovery USB stick\/drive<\/a>.<\/li>\n
Boot up your PC from the Easy Recovery Essentials CD<\/a> or USB you created.<\/li>\n
Once EasyRE is running, choose the “Automated Repair” option and click Continue<\/kbd>.\n
$\"EasyRE$ <\/a><\/p>\n
Choose “Automated Repair” in Easy Recovery Essentials<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
After EasyRE scans your computer’s drives, identify and select the drive letter for your Windows installation\u00a0from the list, and then click on the Automated Repair<\/kbd> button to begin.\n
$\"EasyRE$ <\/a><\/p>\n
Choose the drive associated with the Windows installation you’re trying to repair.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
Easy Recovery Essentials will start analyzing the selected drive for problems. EasyRE will test for and attempt to automatically correct errors with the disk, partition, bootsector, filesystem, bootloader, and registry. No intervention is required, as EasyRE’s repair is fully automated:\n
$\"EasyRE:$ <\/a><\/p>\n
Easy Recovery Essentials searches for errors and makes corrections to the selected Windows installation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
Once the process is complete, EasyRE will report its findings. Click on the Restart<\/kbd> button to reboot your PC and test the changes.<\/li>\n
The “any UEFI boot error” error should now be fixed as your PC begins to load: $\"EasyRE:$ <\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
You can download Easy Recovery Essentials from here<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Fix UEFI Boot in Windows 7<\/h2>\n
The step-by-step instructions for fixing the UEFI\/EFI boot on a Windows 7 system are very similar to those of Windows 8\/8.1<\/a>:<\/p>\n
\n
Use bootrec<\/li>\n
Use diskpart<\/li>\n
Use Easy Recovery Essentials<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Windows 7 can’t be installed if your computer’s UEFI\/EFI mode is set as active and not in Legacy mode. Legacy mode allows your computer to boot Windows 7.<\/p>\n
If your computer model is new and has UEFI\/EFI installed, but you have Windows 7 installed, it’s most likely that you’re running UEFI\/EFI as Legacy.<\/p>\n
Follow the instructions from prerequisites below before you start.<\/p>\n
Prerequisites<\/h3>\n
Before you start using the bootrec or the diskpart command to fix the bootloader of your Windows 7 system, first you must determine that UEFI\/EFI loads with the Legacy mode active.<\/p>\n
Follow these steps:<\/p>\n
\n
Restart your computer<\/li>\n
Press the necessary key to open UEFI\/EFI. The key depends on your PC manufacturer and PC model.Most common keys are: F2<\/kbd>, F8<\/kbd>, F12<\/kbd>, Del<\/kbd>. Esc<\/kbd> is also an option.<\/li>\n
Once inside the UEFI\/EFI setup menu, search for Secure Boot<\/strong>.This is usually found at any of the following tabs: Boot, Authentication or Security.<\/li>\n
Make sure Secure Boot<\/strong> is either Disabled<\/strong> or Off<\/strong><\/li>\n
Save these settings and exit the UEFI\/EFI setup menu<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n $\"Secure$ <\/a><\/p>\n
Secure Boot [Enabled] on a Dell computer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
$\"Secure$ <\/a><\/p>\n
Secure Boot [Enabled] on a HP computer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Fix #1: Use bootrec<\/h3>\n
To use the bootrec utility and fix the boot error of your Windows 7 system, follow these steps:<\/p>\n
If you don’t have the Windows 7 installation CD\/DVD to run Command Prompt, go to Fix UEFI Boot with Easy Recovery Essentials<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n
Insert the original Windows 7 installation CD\/DVD and boot from it<\/li>\n
Select a language, keyboard and click Next<\/strong><\/li>\n
Select the operating list (Windows 7) from the list and click Next<\/strong><\/li>\n
At the System Recovery Options<\/em> screen, click Command Prompt<\/strong>\n
$\"Windows$ <\/p>\n
Windows 7 System Recovery Options Screen<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
Type:\nbootrec \/fixmbr<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
Type:\n
bootrec \/fixboot<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
Type:\n
bootrec \/ScanOs<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
Type:\n
bootrec \/rebuildBcd<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n
Remove the installation CD\/DVD, type exit, press Enter<\/kbd> and restart your computer<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/a><\/p>\nWindows 7 bootrec utility results screen<\/p>\n<\/div>\nIf the bootrec utility doesn’t fix the boot error, follow Fix #2: Use diskpart<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fix #2: Use\u00a0bootsect<\/h3>\nWindows Setup CD\/DVD Required!<\/strong> Some of the solutions below require the use of the Microsoft Windows setup CD or DVD. If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows<\/a> instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.<\/p>\n Follow these steps to run diskpart to repair the boot sector code of the Windows 7 installation:<\/p>\n \nFollow the steps from Fix #1: Use bootrec<\/a> until you reach Command Prompt<\/li>\n Type:\nbootsect \/nt60 SYS \/mbr<\/pre>\n<\/li>\nPress Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n Remove the Windows 7 installation CD\/DVD from the disc tray, type exit<\/code> in Command Prompt and press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\nRestart your computer<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/a><\/p>\nWindows 7 bootsect utility results screen<\/p>\n<\/div>\nFix UEFI Boot in Windows 8, 8.1 or 10<\/h2>\nTo fix the UEFI bootloader on a Windows 8, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 system, you can follow these options:<\/p>\n\nUse diskpart to check if the UEFI partition has a drive letter assigned (if not, it must be assigned)<\/li>\n Use Automatic Repair if diskpart doesn’t work<\/li>\nUse Easy Recovery Essentials to automatically fix the UEFI bootloader<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nFix #1: Use diskpart<\/h3>\nIf the UEFI partition on your computer doesn’t have a drive letter assigned, this may be the primary cause of your computer’s boot error.<\/p>\n A common is to use the diskpart utility (available on the Windows 8\/8.1\/10 recovery disc\/USB) to make sure the UEFI partition has a letter assigned to it. If it doesn’t, you’ll assign it a letter.<\/p>\nWindows Setup CD\/DVD Required!<\/strong> Some of the solutions below require the use of the Microsoft Windows setup CD or DVD. If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows<\/a> instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.<\/p>\n The instructions you need to follow are:<\/p>\n \nInsert your original Windows 8\/8.1\/10 installation disc or installation USB<\/li>\n Boot from the disc or the USB<\/li>\nAt the Install now<\/em> screen, click Repair your computer<\/strong> or press R<\/kbd>\n<\/a><\/p>\nWindows 8 Repair Your Computer Menu<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Click Troubleshoot<\/strong><\/li>\n Click Advanced options<\/strong><\/li>\n Click Command Prompt<\/strong><\/li>\n When Command Prompt has finished loading, type:\ndiskpart<\/pre>\n<\/li>\nPress Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\nThe diskpart utility should now be loaded:\nDISKPART><\/pre>\n<\/li>\nType:\nsel disk 0<\/pre>\n<\/li>\nPress Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\nWait for the confirmation message:\nDisk 0 is now the selected disk.<\/pre>\n<\/li>\nType:\nlist vol<\/pre>\n<\/li>\nPress Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n diskpart will now show the full list of volumes available on your PC \n<\/a><\/li>\n Find the UEFI volume from the list. This usually has “BOOT” mentioned on the Label column, “System” on the Info column. The Fs column might FAT32 specified.For our example, in the next steps, our UEFI partition will be on Volume 2.<\/li>\n Type:\nsel vol 2<\/pre>\n<\/li>\nPress Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\nType:\nassign letter=G:<\/pre>\nWhere G:<\/code> should be a unique drive letter. It can’t be already used, e.g. C:\\, D:\\<\/li>\n Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\nWait for the confirmation message:\nDiskPart successfully assigned the drive letter or mount point.<\/pre>\n<\/li>\nType:\nexit<\/pre>\n<\/li>\nPress Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\nType:\ncd \/d G:\\EFI\\Microsoft\\Boot\\<\/pre>\nWhere G:<\/code> is the drive letter you’ve assigned to your UEFI partition a few steps back. If the \\EFI\\Microsoft\\Boot\\<\/code> folder doesn’t exist (the error message will be “The system cannot find the path specified”<\/em>), you can run the same command on alternative paths:<\/p>\n cd \/d G:\\Boot\\<\/pre>\nor<\/p>\n cd \/d G:\\ESD\\Windows\\EFI\\Microsoft\\Boot\\<\/pre>\nRemember to replace G:<\/code> with the UEFI’s partition letter.<\/li>\n Type the bootrec command:\nbootrec \/fixboot<\/pre>\nNOTE:<\/strong> on newer <\/span>Windows 10 installs this command may return with an “<\/span>Access Denied” error. On those versions the following command should be run: <\/span><\/p>\n bcdboot C:\\windows \/s G: \/f UEFI<\/span><\/pre>\n<\/li>\nPress Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n For backup purposes, backup the BCD record of your computer like this:\nren BCD BCD.bak<\/pre>\n<\/li>\nRecreate the BCD using the bcdboot command:\nBcdboot C:\\Windows \/l en-us \/s x: \/f ALL<\/pre>\nWhere C:\\<\/code> is the letter of the drive where Windows 8, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 is installed on. The \/l en-us<\/code> parameter is used for localization: US. You can use ln \/en-gb<\/code> for UK localization.<\/li>\n Press Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n You can also run this command too:\nbootrec \/rebuildbcd<\/pre>\n<\/li>\nPress Enter<\/kbd><\/li>\n Type exit<\/code> in Command Prompt<\/li>\n Restart your computer<\/li>\n Your Windows 8\/8.1\/10 should now boot again<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/a><\/p>\nWindows 8 bootrec utility results screen<\/p>\n<\/div>\nFix #2: Use Automatic Repair<\/h3>\nThe built-in Automatic Repair utility, available on the Windows 8, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 disc, might fix errors with the UEFI bootloader of your computer.<\/p>\nIn most cases, Fix #1: Use diskpart<\/a> works better than Fix #2.<\/p>\n Windows Setup CD\/DVD Required!<\/strong> Some of the solutions below require the use of the Microsoft Windows setup CD or DVD. If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows<\/a> instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.<\/p>\n The instructions to run Automatic Repair are:<\/p>\n \nInsert the Windows 8\/8.1\/10 installation disc or USB<\/li>\n Restart your computer and boot from disc\/USB<\/li>\n At the Install Now<\/em> screen, click Repair your computer<\/strong><\/li>\n At the Choose an option<\/em> screen, click Troubleshoot<\/strong><\/li>\n Click Automatic Repair<\/strong><\/li>\n Choose an account from the list to continue, at the Automatic Repair<\/em> screen<\/li>\nWait for the process to finish<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/a><\/p>\nWindows 8 recovery options screen<\/p>\n<\/div>\n More Information<\/h2>\nLinked Entries<\/h3>\n\nbootrec<\/a><\/li>\n diskpart<\/a><\/li>\n Disable secure boot<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nSupport Links<\/h3>\n\nEasy Recovery Essentials for Windows<\/a> – our repair and recovery disk.<\/strong> \n \nIt’s an easy-to-use and automated diagnostics disk. It’s available for Windows 8<\/a>, Windows 7<\/a> and Windows Vista<\/a>. It’s also available for Windows XP and Windows Server.<\/p>\nRead more at Windows Recovery Disks<\/a>.\n<\/li>\n The NeoSmart Support Forums<\/a>, member-to-member technical support and troubleshooting.<\/li>\n Get a discounted price on replacement setup and installation discs: Windows 7<\/a>, Windows 8<\/a>, Windows 10<\/a>, Windows 11<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nApplicable Systems<\/h3>\nThis Windows-related knowledgebase article applies to the following operating systems:<\/p>\n \nWindows 7 (all editions)<\/li>\n Windows 8 (all editions)<\/li>\n Windows 8.1 (all editions)<\/li>\n Windows 10 (all editions)<\/li>\n Windows 11 (all editions)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This article explains step-by-step solutions that you can use to fix your computer’s UEFI boot for these Windows versions: Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows 7, and Windows 8. This how-to article is applicable for PCs with UEFI\/EFI that have either Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows 7, or Windows 8 installed. UEFI (EFI) is the updated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":508,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3SlTq-Ok","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/neosmart.net\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/neosmart.net\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/neosmart.net\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neosmart.net\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/508"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/neosmart.net\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3120"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/neosmart.net\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3120\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5636,"href":"https:\/\/neosmart.net\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3120\/revisions\/5636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/neosmart.net\/wiki\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}